Power electronic modules are semiconductor packages that are used in power electronic circuits. Power electronic modules are typically used in vehicular and industrial applications, such as in inverters and rectifiers. Typical semiconductor components included within the power electronic modules, such as chopper modules, include insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) semiconductor chips and diode semiconductor chips. The chips are typically electrically coupled together by a printed circuit board. Printed circuit boards, however, add material costs and process costs in the fabrication of power electronic modules.
For these and other reasons, a need exists for the present invention.